Wanted a Clean Town.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1922, Page 1

Wanted a Clean Town.

(Contributed). The commendable efforts of the Beautifying Society are quite apparent in this town. Unfortunately they arc only the efforts of a few enthusiasts, who are doing excellently well. The bulk of the people don’t cure a continental about their boiinic town. They don’t realise they are the persons responsible for tho improvement and advancement of Hokitika, but are adopting the unfortunate attitude of “laisscy faire” or as the. Yanks say, let George do it. It appears to this scribe that nothing short of an earthquake or another epidemic will stir the public mind. The next best thing to these phenomenon undoubtedly is a virulent agitation by the town authorities aided by the iioliee and by the citizens themselves to have the place made clean, not to say sanitary and healthy, but iust plain, decent cleanliness exorcised. Now it is within the knowledge of more than one citizen that there are some dirty places within this borough. There are some smelly drains. There are some slimy gutters visible with the naked eye. There are some filthy drains visible with the linked nose. There is filth in some of the drains of this town. Tiiese facts are given not in anger but in sorrow. Tt is the easiest tiling in the world to assume the role of carping critic. This is not the object of those rambling remarks. No reflection is made on the city fathers, (he health authorities, the Hospital Board, the County Council or any other body of men. The persons to blame for this state of affairs are the citizens and the citizens alone. The town of Hokitika is exactly what the people make it. and goodness knows it could he made one of the finest towns in the Dominion, if the Government would only conic to the rescue! Hang the Government! What have they got to do with it. This is not the Government’s job, it is tin* citizens job. It is the business ol ov-rv resident to see to their owii homes, their own bouses, thoh- own hvtpaths, tie ir own streets, their own drains, their own parks, squares and places of r ■cv'alion. The Government have nothing v’-atev'i 1 io do with this important matter. Oitv'.ens see to it yourselves. There is to he n health week observed throughout the Dominion. What are we going to do ill tier own town. Are we going to exercise our civic pride or are we going te omitiinie living in Lis Diog'mes of old) mii- dirtv barrel. Ah. it is all very vvli Io prate about the citizens duly. Wliti* can they da? Tlmv • ceil do evirvlhing that is ii-cdful. for *h-iinp-ovement. cleanliness and well bring of the town. What did the onriv pi amors id' thb- town do for its good guidance and conduct before there w re any notice, local authorities, oi Government officers and offices. They had a vigilance and citizens committee and a better set of men and women have never walked the street- of U'is town. What they did we can do. We can each do oui bit. and not leave if fa find and good neighbours to do, as is being done rt present. Are we to be classified as a town of “go goiters.” or to fall into that immortal classification of Dickons, “Mu nwhers.” Bead, think, act.